The technical field of the invention relates to robots for inspecting, maintaining, or reconditioning metal structures including cylindrical cavities having tapped inside surfaces.
The covers of devices such as steam generator vessels are assembled to the bodies of said vessels by means of nuts screwed onto bolts which are in turn screwed into tapped holes regularly distributed around a cover support flange which is welded to the top of the vessel body.
The Assignee has already implemented unit portable machine tools specially adapted to performing specific tasks in relation to such work, and one such machine is described in French patent application number 88/15188.
The object of the present invention is to provide a modular apparatus capable of receiving tools specially designed for performing specific tasks that need to be performed in bolt holes distributed around the flange of a vessel, for example the vessel of a steam generator, with tool modules for inspection, for greasing, for brushing, for polishing, for milling, etc., being placed on a vehicle module, and with some of the tool modules having a tool rotary drive module interposed between themselves and the vehicle module.